International Save the Children Alliance
Chores are the subject of Wahidah's exhibition picture
washing her clothes. This is how it is everyday."
Wahidah, the photographer
I am usually called Wahidah, my age is 13 years old now, now I am in the 2nd year of Junior High School. I am the 4th of 5 children in the family. My father's name is Zakaria and my mother's name is Halimah, my parents work as farmers. My first kakak (older sibling) is working in an elementary school in our village, graduated from university and another kakak is in the 3rd year in High School. Although we are of a poor family, we are all educated. My home village is the Alu Ngom village in Nibong sub-district. This village is far from cities. Previously it was considered an area with severe conflict in which army contacts and sweeping happened frequently. My father is also someone who has been tortured by TNI (Indonesian Armed Force).
The area behind our house is hilly, not far from our house is a mosque, often there were shootings between two conflicting parties in which GAM took position inside the mosque and TNI behind the hills. As a result there were many people got killed. My uncle was kidnapped and up to now his remains has not been found. Another one was tortured by hanging up on a tree but survived it to live to this day.
My story of living in a children home started because a while ago, my uncle became a teacher of Qur'an reading lessons in the children home I am living now. When he went home to the village he informed my father that the children home is very good. Besides a school, there is Qur'an reading lessons. My kakak was interested since kakak wanted to finish schooling though our parents had no money. After my kakak had lived in the children home, several years later I joined too.
In the beginning of living in the children's home I didn't feel at home since there was no water and frequently we ate only salted fish, and all the more Ummi was irritable quite often. I could endure it only by thinking that there is no money to pay for school. There are many sad things I have experienced in the children home, for example going to school without breakfast. Pocket money is also not given. Ummi is unfair. She cares less for my group. She cares more for a child who has family ties with her. If the child goes to school without breakfast, she would give more pocket money, but to us she doesn't even care.
We also get scolded frequently although we make little mistakes. She is always complaining. If there are parents or guardians who visit, she tells all bad things about us. In that case I am so ashamed to face other people. If there is work that other children don't want to do such as cleaning latrines she would definitely told my kakak and me to do it. When I am going home I am also sad to see that my family is so poor.
In our children home there are many misconducts, just like what happened a short while ago. There was a donation of RP 40.000.000. This money was given to buy cattle. However I see that up to now no cow has being bought and yesterday there were several policemen came to investigate about the fund. How this story ended I don't know. Now the leader of our children home has two wives, the second one is in Buloh in Kuta Makmur sub-district and the first wife Ummi is in the children home, he got married again since he didn't have children.
My hobby is to read and to play. My hope for the future is to finish college and to work to earn money. My future goal is to become an airplane pilot, certainly I want to make my parents happy.
Since I joined the workshop A Child's Eye I feel happier because I am able to take photographs and have a camera. In relating to other people I am no longer shy and have more courage in speaking out, but in a big group I am still shy. I also often try to do the games I have played in workshops with friends in children homes. Now I know more about new things and I often share stories with my friends in the children home. Sometimes they laugh because it's funny.
Khalil Jamri Wahidah Nurlalia Zulkifli